He said: “Of course, I wanted to strengthen the team and if we are unable to do that it would be disappointing, but there’s nothing you can do about it.

“I think, yes, absolutely, we are so close to our aim of the Champions League and we should do everything we can to get there – and the owners feel like that as well.

“The people in the club see where we are at. I’ve always felt with this team that we would need to have everyone available to keep us in it, but if they are not we’ll still have to find ways to win games.”

The failure to land Salah has caused anger among Reds fans, with MD Ian Ayre forced to calm emotions yesterday by suggesting: “The player decided he didn’t want to come to Liverpool.”

But the Anfield chief also revealed the club clearly set a limit which Chelsea passed for the £11million Egypt star, when he added: “We know what the value of the player is and how far we were prepared to go. We won’t over-pay.”

And Rodgers seemed to confirm both that fact and his own frustration when asked why Liverpool didn’t commit funds towards trying to get into the Champions. League. He said: “That’s for the money guys to say that. It was deemed in this case we couldn’t do a deal and Chelsea could.

“It’s the construction of the whole deal, not only with the player and the agent and Basel as a football club.”

But Rodgers still expects his team to trump neighbours Everton tonight.

He added: “Wealth or not, it doesn’t matter to me, I believe this club I am at should be finishing above them.

“It’s easier said than done – Everton, for the last two years, have finished above us.

“But, for me, irrespective of wealth, we would see ourselves as a club to be up there challenging at the top of the table.